Transportation Books: MADE

First of all, I'm loving the projects that are popping up in the OUT Flickr group.  Don't forget to share what you are making!

Hooray!  Dana from MADE is here today!  I don't think there's anything Dana can't do.  Seriously.  Painting, sewing, baking, photography, teaching, writing a book(!).  The thing about Dana is she never does anything half-heartedly.  You can tell that she puts every ounce of herself in her projects--she doesn't overlook a detail. I love that about her.  I was crossing my fingers and toes she'd say yes to coming on Once Upon a Thread again, because not only does she go a million miles an hour, she does it looking mighty cute with a baby on the way!  Welcome, Dana!

Hello friends! I'm Dana from MADE and I'm really happy to be part of Once Upon a Thread again. I actually emailed Katy a few months ago to make sure she was doing it since I love being inspired by the artwork and words in children's books.


And today I was motivated by 2 books about planes, trains, and automobiles.


My 4-year old son Owen is a boy like most others--obsessed with cars, trucks, planes, boats, and all means of transportation. How do they learn these things? It's somehow in their DNA to pick up a play car and make crazy driving noises.
Recently we checked out two books from the library that I knew he'd enjoy:
I love Planes! by Philemon Sturges
School Bus by Donald Crews
He did love them. And I loved them too!--especially the School Bus artwork. I almost didn't care what the words said; I just wanted to look at the pictures.
And since I've been on a school-bag sewing kick (making themed bags for my daughter's kindergarten teacher) I used planes, cars, and wheels as my inspiration for the next school bag....
Other themed bags I've made are Rainy Day, Tooth Fairy, and Cookie Jar. I gave this one a small twist and turned it into a simple backpack, decorating it my favorite felt of course. The words are hand-written with sharpie marker on Cotton fabric.

And the exhaust is a small bit of batting glued to the front. I like 3D touches.

Owen was excited to see all his toys and books piled in one sack and had fun pulling them out, one by one.

His favorite mode of transportation is definitely an airplane. We've flown back and forth to Calif many times and he gets excited when the airplane pulls up to the gate. "Mom! There's Jet Blue!"
So the book I love Planes! is right up his alley. It talks about all types of planes and flying vessels with bright illustrations. The boy in the book imagines all the things he'd like to fly in.

He has a cute imagination.

It's simple and sweet.

Next up....school bus eye candy. My kids have an obsession with yelling out "school bus!" when we see one driving down the road.

The book shows buses driving around town, through traffic, heading to bus-stops to pick up kids.

Then the buses drive through town, headed to school.

Eeeerch. Everyone off.

Then they're back out in traffic till it's time to pick the kids up again. (how great is that taxi and the man next to it? I love these illustrations!)
Finally, the buses take the kids back.
Home again.
Home again.
And a rare picture of my kids holding hands together. It was such an honest sweet moment, I had to capture it.

And there the book goes, home again in its new bag, ready to tote along wherever we go.

There's just something about schools and buses that makes me wish I was a kid again.
I guess that's the joy of reading books with my kids--reliving those memories and making some new ones. I'm glad we have 12 more years of it.

Lovin' the exhaust!  I told you she's good at the details.

  Thanks for playing, Dana!